Pumpkin Spice Season: 16 Ways to Use Pumpkin Pie Spice That Don't Involve Making a Latte or a Pie by Donna John

It's pumpkin spice time! Some people's eyes light up and some people give an eye roll when pumpkin pie spice season rolls around. Maybe those eye rolls would stop if everyone realized you can use pumpkin pie spice for more than pies and lattes. Here are 16 creative ways to use this legendary spice blend: 

1. Pumpkin Spice Frozen Yogurt: Stir 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice into this three-ingredient frozen vanilla yogurt recipe. Get fancy and add a cinnamon stick for garnish. 

2. Baked Bananas: Cut bananas in half lengthwise and lay in a baking dish that’s been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and bake at 375 degrees F until tender. Serve with vanilla ice cream (or the frozen yogurt above).

3. Popcorn Topping: Pop up some microwave popcorn on stovetop popcorn and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice for a healthy snack.

4. Spicy Whipped Cream: Stir about a 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice into this homemade whipped cream recipe and serve on your favorite fall dessert.

5. Pumpkin Pie Nice Cream: Add pumpkin pie spice to your banana ice cream (aka nice cream). Throw in some dark chocolate chips to up the ahhh factor.

6. Pancake Batter: Stir 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice into your favorite pancake batter or waffle batter. (Here’s a good way to use that spiced whipped cream from No. 4.)

7. Spiced Crunchy Snacks: Make roasted garbanzo beans or roasted pumpkin seeds and use pumpkin pie spice as the seasoning. Now that's healthy fall snacking!

8. Add to Veggies: Pumpkin pie spice can be sprinkled on acorn squash, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted pumpkin, parsnips, sweet potato fries and carrots. Try this easy recipe for pumpkin pie spiced baby carrots.

9. Better Bacon: Dust the top of your bacon while frying with pumpkin pie spice. Really, what could be better?

10. Flavored Chips: Sprinkle freshly made homemade tortilla chips or potato chips with a little salt and pumpkin pie spice.

11. Compound Butter: Mix about 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice into a stick of butter. Shape into a log and wrap in wax paper. Freeze. Use on waffles, pancakes, biscuits or rolls.

12. Pumpkin Martini: Put ice cubes in a drink shaker. Add 2 ounces vanilla vodka, 1/2 ounce cream liqueur and 1/2 ounce pumpkin liqueur. Shake! Dip the rim of a martini glass into water (or vanilla vodka!) and then into some pumpkin pie spice. Strain the pumpkin martini into your glass and enjoy.

13. DIY Fall Ornaments: Instead making homemade cinnamon ornaments (directions coming soon!) for Christmas, replace the cinnamon in the recipe with pumpkin pie spice. Cut out shapes of turkeys, pumpkins, acorns or fall leaves with fall cookie cutters for autumn decorating.

14. Pumpkin Oatmeal: Stir pumpkin pie spice into hot steel cut oatmeal or quick-cooking oatmeal. For added crunch, top with chopped nuts or pumpkin seeds.

15. Beauty Treatment: Pumpkin pie spice is not only for culinary pleasures – it also adds an enticing aroma to DIY body scrubs. Try this homemade beauty treatment recipe for pumpkin pie spice coffee exfoliating scrub.

16. Frugal Lattes: Had to add this one for the people who don't roll their eyes. Add a few shakes of pumpkin pie spice to your favorite coffee. Pour in a splash of creamer, milk or almond milk. Get fancy and add a cinnamon stick and star anise.

Now that you've got 16 unique and fun new ways to use pumpkin pie spice, below are a few brands to try. Which is your favorite? How do you use pumpkin pie spice? Please share below. 

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